Health Sciences

School of Public Health

Higher Degree Research Students/Profiles

Penny Azzato

Qualifications: B Med Lab Sc (CCAE), Grad Dip Sc (Uni Canberra).

Present Employment: Clinical Evaluation Unit 1, Drug Safety Evaluation Branch, Therapeutic Goods Administration, Dept of Health and Ageing.

Research Interests: From my work experience in developing diagnostic heamatological/biochemical laboratory assays for therapeutic blood products, the notions that (a) 'process' determines the 'quality' of the outcome, and (b) knowing how the outcomes, that are being worked towards, can be used in the wider context - were both important for an effective outcome. This realisation, with an interest in health policy, initiated my interest in research utilisation by health policy.

My study towards my thesis will involve looking at (a) i. how tobacco management policies for mainstream society has evolved, identifying the most influencal policy action for this area of health; ii. how the tobacco management policies for the indigenous population have also evolved, also identifying the most influencal policy action; and (b) comparing these two policy systems. This study may provide insights that could benefit (a) the Indigenous tobacco management policy system and (b) the understanding of how policy uses research.

Participation in Conferences:

1. The 1998 joint Annual Scientific Meeting of the Haematology Society of Australia and Australasian Society of Blood Transfusion: The Effect of Protein Excipients on Potency Determination of Therapeutic Anti-D Immunoglobulin Preparations by Flow Cytometry. First author (oral presentation).

2. 2005 General Practice & Primary Health Care Research Conference, Adelaide: Evaluating any health policy to identify relevant and
important research questions. (oral presentation)

3. XIII Cochrane Colloquium, 2005, Melbourne: Health policy integrating with systematic reviews. (poster presentation)

4. International Conference on Engaging Communities, 2005, Brisbane: Public participation and successful public policy. (poster presentation)

5. Aboriginal Policy Research Conference 2006, Ottawa: Evidence-based health: policy evaluation - a proposed new method (oral presentation)

6. 2006 General Practice & Primary Health Care Research Conference, Perth: Is primary health care research providing information to inform policy? (oral presentation)

Recreational Interests: (outdoor) mountain biking, skiing, bushwalking;(indoor) quilting, knitting and sewing.